The Ties of Fate
by Sailor Taurus Angel
Summary: When Hotaru and Rei are taken to the Soul Society for unknown reasons, only one Senshi is able to save them. With the inability for anyone else to go Makoto must travel to find Kurosaki Ichigo to assist her in her fight to save her friends.Pairings inside
1. Ichigo, Predetermined Hotty

Okay and this is the part where all of my Desert Rose and W.I.T.S. fans come and stone me to death! Please listen before you do so! I've been REALLY wanting to type this story and I know I should be updating D.S. with all the Gaara/Mako goodness, but I had to write this story! I just had to! I'm sorry… But anyways this is my first try at a BLEACH -X- Sailor Moon crossover, so please be gentle with reviews my darlings! Hehe, well here are the wonderful pairings:

Mako/Ichigo

Hotaru/Toshiro (HOTTY)

Rei/Byakuya

**This story takes place right after Rukia is taken back to the Soul Society and after the Stars series. **

I dedicate this story to- Moi Fah, for her help and support for this story to be published and you can thank her for all of the Hotaru goodness! JPandS, because she is always so kind and leaves great reviews! And last but not least; BlueShadowStar, because she has kept me going through many of my stories now and always inspires me to write when she leaves me wonderful reviews (too bad she's M.I.A. at the moment TTTT) Thanks you guys, hugs!! Lol! And without further ado, my new story!

The Ties of Fate

Chapter One- Kurosaki Ichigo, Predetermined Hotty

She looked down her eyes spilling with the tears of defeat as sweat dripped from her furrowed brow. She couldn't believe that her body was even able to quiver in fear at such a weakened state she was in… But none of that mattered. Her sage green eyes flamed with grievance and hostility, tears still falling. She had to get up, she had to move… She had to do something! She pressed her bloody hands against the gritty sandpaper like ground beneath her. The small pebbles implanted themselves under her nails as she pushed with any bit of strength that she could attempt to expel from her haggard form. She was almost standing now; her mouth was dry as she licked her cracked lips.

"I won't give up on you…" She whispered tears falling faster to the ground now as her brow furrowed once more and she looked up her livid eyes pouring into the ones that she intended to kill.

"You can't and won't win Princess. You're too weak to even stand. You'd best forget about your comrades, because you won't see them again." His condescending voice penetrated her ears. Those were the kind of words that she needed to fuel her body with more strength.

"I won't give up!" She screamed giving herself one final push to stand and attacked the man, lightning splurging out of her whole body. All she could think as she ran towards the man was to keep her legs moving and hit him, just once! Just one time was all that she needed! Ten feet closer, seven, five, three, two…

"Ahhhhhhh!" She screamed and threw the lightning packed punch towards his head, but missed, just what she wanted to happen. She smirked malevolently waiting for him to attack and hit her back and as he did she sent lightning throughout her whole body. The light that it illuminated from his touch of a finger on her arm lit up the moonless sky, enough so that she saw his face. And as fast as she did, he was gone… Just like the two Senshi.

"No…." She whispered, her body shaking once more as the tears revealed themselves to her eyes again.

"No!" She screamed and felt her body unwillingly crash to the ground. The last thing she remembered before passing out was Haruka shouting down to her half conscious body pleading for something…

"I'm sorry… Rei… Hotaru…I'm sorry…" She whimpered and her eyes slowly pulled themselves into a slumber.

-:-

She heard quiet voices coming from the room she was in. They were calm and made her relax, she felt safe and at home… Everything was okay.

"Setsuna, please!? You must know something about this so called Soul Society! Isn't there someone that you know who is able to stop them from coming into other worlds and taking people like that!?" A normally calm and collected voice of Michiru rang out, making Makoto's eyes shoot open. How could she forget!? How could she not remember her friends!? Her body shot up out of the bed feeling a straining pain against her side as she winced, but that wasn't enough to stop her.

"Mako-Chan…" She heard Usagi whisper softly in a concerned voice next her.

"Where are they Setsuna?" Makoto demanded, looking around to see that they were in the Outers apartment.

"They're in another world called the Soul Society. It is a place where the dead pass on to and where they can keep prisoners… Such as Hotaru and Rei." She replied and Makoto looked around the room to see everyone was here but those two, and everyone's expression voiced the same thing: regret and failure.

"Then we have to go and get them!" Makoto shouted angrily, slamming her fist into the bed beneath her.

"It's not that simple Makoto! Don't you think we haven't already thought of that!? This is another world where we aren't able to run things and tell them how it is!" Setsuna replied forcefully, but that wasn't going to make Makoto back down.

"Then why the God damn hell are they allowed to come into OUR world and tell US like it is!? I have half a mind to go kick all of their asses right now!" Makoto screamed feeling prickles of tears about to pour into her eyes… She hated that feeling, the stinging needle like pain that brought back too many memories. The room was completely silent as Makoto's tears began to fall.

"We can't leave them there… Hotaru, is the youngest and most inexperienced for Lord's sake!... And without those two Senshi, we all know that Crystal Tokyo will never come!... Setsuna, there has to be someone…" Makoto pressed on, looking into the Senshi of Time's red eyes as she cast her gaze to the floor.

"There is no one, Mako-" Suddenly a small, fragile and mournful voice interrupted her.

"Don't lie to them anymore Setsuna… I can't tolerate to watch them go through this any longer…" Luna spoke up and Setsuna turned quickly to the small creature.

"Luna, you can't expect me to do this. It's against the Queen's orders! To send someone there and expect to have that person help her, is almost no chance at all!" Setsuna replied all of the Senshi daring not to interrupt the two.

"Even though it's against the Queen, I'm sure Selenity would understand that this is something that needs to be done especially if the fate of Crystal Tokyo is in danger. And you know she's the only one that can do this… Setsuna, you know you can't turn your back on this… She has to go." Artemis spoke up agreeing with his lover.

"Who has to go!?" Haruka shouted desperately, she would give anything to help her daughter and now longtime companion. Setsuna turned and looked at her sadly then down at the ground.

"Tell them, Setsuna… We only have so much time." Luna pressed on.

Setsuna said nothing as she still looked at the ground, it seemed that she was fighting with herself to agree or not to agree and most likely weighing the pro's and con's of the matter.

"Please, Setsuna… If we can help them, even if it's just one of us… At least that is better than no one." Ami spoke softly as Minako added in desperately,

"Hai, Ami-Chan and Mako-Chan are right… We can't just leave them there and hope for the best! They need someone… Anyone at all." Setsuna sighed looking up and then spoke softly,

"…Only one person is allowed to enter this world without there permission and long ago, they chose the Senshi of Jupiter… That was the treaty that Selenity set up with them centuries before this era, and only one of them is allowed to enter our world for any reason they wish… If anyone else was to enter their world, without the consent of the leader of the Soul Society, whom runs both the world of the living and dead, they would kill them on the spot and they would extract their Sailor Crystals and never be reborn again…" Setsuna finished and looked to see Makoto's face. Her expression was mixed between both fear and hate… two horrible mixtures.

"Wh-What!?" Haruka shouted as her head snapped in Makoto's direction.

"We can't just send her into that world and hope for the best! It's suicide!" Haruka yelled to Setsuna who looked the other way.

"If Sailor Senshi are to enter their world, they fear our powers. The Soul Society cannot control us like they control many of the powers that flow through and about their worlds. I believe I know the reason they took Rei, but I fear that Hotaru will be used for reasons to keep their world from annihilation." Setsuna spoke softly.

"So, in other words they feel threatened by us." Ami interjected.

"Yes. In their world, they measure power by spirit energy, but here we only have raw power. But if we are to enter their world and mix spirit energy with our raw power, that can cause a deadly destruction." Setsuna replied as Ami piped up again.

"So that means, if they enter our world and if they're strong enough they can cause the same problems for us, correct?" She asked while the Senshi of Time nodded her head positively.

"Soul Reapers are what make that world stay running. They defeat Hollow's which are tainted souls and they are much like exorcists and they either will send them to Hell or send them to the Soul Society which provides a good afterlife for any of those souls. A Soul Reaper is what took Rei and Hotaru last night. He was the one that was allowed to enter our world when we made the Treaty. But they went back on their word and sent someone to our world to retrieve the Senshi. It was said in the Treaty that none of the Sailor Senshi were to be harmed and the only reason for that person to enter our world would be to send us word from the leader of the Soul Society on anything that may hinder our existence."

"The need for this Treaty in the first place was to stop them from entering our world and trying to become involved in matters that they didn't belong to as well as trying to understand the Sailor Senshi." Setsuna finished.

"Understand the Sailor Senshi?... What's there to understand?" Minako asked thinking that was the most unheard of thing.

"They can't grasp the concept that each person, human and Sailor Senshi alike possesses a Star Seed. They don't understand that if one is to be so bright like all of yours that it has the potential of becoming a Sailor Crystal. They wish to know what it is that makes the Crystals that way, and how it is that the Crystals obtain such diverse powers from one being death to the other being life."

"There are some Soul Reapers there, which have the ability to destroy our world with simply one move... That is why the treaty between the two worlds was created so long ago; to keep from anything like this from happening. I'm guessing that since we were forced to travel out of our Solar System to defeat Galaxia they felt threatened that we might decide to go against the treaty and after their world seeing as there are many secrets there that the Moon Kingdom had always dreamed of knowing."

"So why is it that they chose Mako-chan to be the one that entered and not one of us?" Michiru asked and Setsuna stiffened, she had hoped they wouldn't ask that question. The room was silent for a few moments as she thought of an easy way to say it.

"Setsuna." Makoto growled knowing that her silence was a bad sign.

"They asked for Jupiter because they thought that she would have the least potential of causing any destruction to their world." Setsuna replied and everyone quickly cast their gaze to anywhere but Makoto, whose body was quivering in loathing.

"Is that what they think?... Is that what they really think!?" Makoto shouted as she stood up, still feeling the pain in her side from the wound.

"They think that I won't be able to do anything when they fear us already!?" Makoto screamed but Setsuna didn't reply. Taking her silence as a yes she continued,

"Well, if that's the truth then I guess that I'm going to have to kick their asses!" Makoto shouted and felt a hand grab her clenched fist.

"Mako-Chan." Usagi whispered as she held her hand.

"Mako-Chan… You can do this. I know you can, and even though you're going by yourself, we'll all still be with you in spirit. And you can call us on the communicator anytime you want to if you g-get lo-lonely-" Suddenly Usagi through herself onto Makoto.

"Mako-Chan! I don't want you to leave! You'll be all alone! And I'll miss your amazing cooking!" Usagi cried as Makoto sweatdropped and smiled down at her.

"You liar, you just want me to stay for my cooking." Makoto laughed as Usagi looked up with a hurtful but oh-so fake expression.

"Mako-Chan, that's so mean…" She replied as Makoto giggled then looked over to Setsuna.

"When do I leave, Setsuna?"

"Right now, if you are ready… Too much time has been wasted already…" She replied and Makoto nodded realizing that all she must really need is her henshin wand.

"Good, now let me explain this to you. You are going to travel to the land of the Living, and before you protest listen to me. There, you are going to need to find a boy named Kurosaki Ichigo; he will most likely be with you throughout this whole ordeal if all goes well. He will then take you to a man named Urahara Kisuke and he will train you so that you are able to enter the Soul Society in the Spirit World and bring Hotaru and Rei back… You must do this as quickly as possible, because I fear if you wait too long… If you wait too long the two of them will be too wrapped up in that world for me to diminish the memories they left in people, understood?" Setsuna asked as Makoto nodded her head positively.

"Good, now you will meet people along the way, some to be trusted, some not to be… But I'm sure you'll be able to tell, you've always been one to read people well Makoto-Chan…" Setsuna added with a kind smile.

"Right…" Makoto replied as she looked at the time.

"Come, say your goodbye's girls." Setsuna pushed.

Mina and Usagi both glomped poor defenseless Makoto as they cried.

"We'll miss you Mako-Chan!" They both wailed obnoxiously in unison.

"Heh, I'll miss you both too." She replied and hugged them back. Ami then walked up smiling kindly and hugged her friend.

"Good luck Mako-Chan, and please be careful not to hurt yourself, remember I'm not going to be there to heal your wounds for you." Ami smiled kindly always thinking of the best for her friends.

"Sure, Ami-Chan…" Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to face her dear friend and idol.

"Koto, don't you let them kick your ass like they did last night, you got it? It's your turn to show them what I taught you. Be careful and don't make me come in there and save you…" Haruka said turning her around as Makoto smiled up at her.

"I won't Ruka." Then suddenly, Haruka pulled her into a hug surprising Makoto, since Haruka was never one to do such a thing.

"Please…" She whispered.

"Bring back Firefly safely, do you promise me?" She whispered in Makoto's ear as the brunette felt her eyes tear up once again and whispered back softly,

"Sure, Ruka… I promise you I will."

"Thank you, Blossom." She replied as Makoto giggled at the name she used to call her by as Haruka pulled away and just as soon as she did Michiru embraced her.

"Please be careful and come home safely with both of them… I know you'll be fine if Haruka has so much confidence in you, Makoto-chan."

"Thank you, Michiru…" Makoto replied and looked down to see Luna and Artemis.

"Makoto… This world is very dangerous. You need to be ready for an attack around every corner," Luna spoke softly to the girl she trained so long ago when she was fourteen.

"There are things that lurk in both of those worlds that are far worse than any Youma you've defeated… Don't forget anything that you've learned here, got it?" Artemis added with a smile.

"Alright you two. I won't and don't worry, I'll be back soon!" Makoto replied trying to put on the best confident face she could for her Senshi.

"Are you ready, Mako-chan?" Setsuna asked as Makoto turned around to see that she had already transformed.

"Should I go in as Sailor Jupiter?" Makoto asked getting her henshin wand out and ready.

"No, you'll do fine in the clothes you have on now. You're going to the human world, remember... It is just like here, but more dangerous and on a higher level." Setsuna replied as Makoto looked at her school uniform that she had on.

"Alright, whatever you say, Suna… Then I guess I am ready then…" Makoto replied and turned back around to look at her Senshi.

"I promise you guys… I won't fail you like I did last night. They were both with me and I should have been able to protect them and I couldn't…" Makoto replied as Usagi spoke up.

"Mako, that's not your fault! That guy was insanely powerful, and he sneaked up on you… We all sensed him as soon as he set foot into our world! I'm not even sure if we all together could have defeated him… But if you're going to be more powerful in that world… Then you're sure to come back safely!" Usagi finished with her trademark smile and Makoto gave her a reflection of her princess's face.

"Yes, Usa-chan…" Makoto replied and turned around to face Setsuna.

"I'm ready Setsuna." Makoto spoke; her voice couldn't have been anymore serious.

"I have one last thing to give you before you leave, Mako-Chan." Setsuna spoke and walked over to her and hugged her.

"Please keep safe… I will be fearing for your life throughout this whole time until you return… If you make one false step and everything could go wrong… Just follow your heart, Mako." Setsuna spoke as Makoto smiled against her embrace and nodded her head. Setsuna was always the closest thing Makoto had to a mother… Or any parental supervision at all… She would miss her words of wisdom. As Setsuna pulled away a look of realization flooded her expression.

"I almost forgot." She spoke, mostly likely berating herself for forgetting and pulled out a picture and handed it to Makoto.

"This is the boy, Kurosaki Ichigo." She spoke as Makoto's eyes blew up to the size of melons and she began to drool.

"SUNA! You-"

"Thank me later, Mako. Right now you need to go and find him." Setsuna spoke as Makoto nodded but didn't look up from the picture.

"I wanna see, wait Suna!" Mina yelled running towards Makoto.

"Yeah! Me too!" Usagi screamed and they jumped towards the girl, but it was too late. Makoto was glowing Pluto's respective shade of purple and the two looked up to see Makoto holding the picture out showing them the boy and winking as she stuck her tongue out. In a blink, she was gone.

"NOT FAIR! WE WANNA FIND THE HOTTY!" The two blonde twins screamed in unison. Setsuna looked up to the sky her eyes searching, almost thinking she might see the brunette disappearing above her, and sighed as she looked down.

"Good luck Makoto… May the ties of fate keep you safe and unharmed." Setsuna spoke softly to herself, the emerald eyed brunette already plaguing her apprehensive mind.

-:-

Two onyx haired vixens were slowly walking down a porcelain hallway. Each was secured tightly by a man. The shorter female held by none other than Hitsugaya Toushiro himself while the taller and more livid looking woman was restrained by Kuchiki Byakuya.

Hotaru looked down and gulped, thinking of someway that she and Rei would be able to leave this place! They didn't even know why they were here! That's it, Rei was pissed and obviously she wasn't about to speak and tell them anything, but the Senshi of Silence wanted her answers.

She slowly looked at the boy that held her arm tightly in his grip, his snow white hair and stunning green eyes would forever be burned into her memory. He was rather handsome as well, and looked about her age. But those eyes of his were what struck her… For some eccentric and peculiar reason, they reminded her of Christmas. They were an evergreen green, she reasoned… Maybe that was it.

"Excuse me… But please, could you tell me why we were taken from our homes?" She questioned him; her soft and timid voice rang out in the echoing hallways they walked down. His eyes quickly looked to hers and met saddened and fearful lilac orbs.

"Don't speak to them Hotaru. I will deal with this, and I won't let you become wrapped up in something that you shouldn't be." Rei spoke for the first time since they had been taken.

"B-but Rei-" Hotaru stuttered looking at the Fire Senshi.

"No, Hotaru! Think of what Haruka would say! I can't let anything happen to you here… I will get you home and away from these bastards who can't seem to loosen their grip on my damned arm!" She screamed jerking her arm looser from Byakuya's steel grip, her eyes flaming. Hotaru looked down and nodded.

"Rei, I'm sorry that you have to worry about me… I-I…I hope Mako-chan is alright…" Hotaru spoke, her voice dripping with anguish as Rei's simmering temper subsided when she looked down at Hotaru, whose eyes were beginning to fill with tears.

"Don't worry about Makoto, Firefly…. I know she'll be just fine, she's tough remember? And I think she wil-" Suddenly Rei stopped in mid-sentence her body shaking and Byakuya looked down at her.

"Keep walking, Hino-San." He demanded in bitterly stern tone. She didn't move, but her mouth opened slightly.

"Sh-she's here…" She whispered softly, both Toushiro and Byakuya catching it, their eyes connecting.

"Come, we must go now." Byakuya commanded hurriedly and pulled Rei along as Hotaru looked up at her fellow Senshi.

_"Rei-chan…" _She thought with concern.

-:-

"Ahhhhhhhhhh-umph!" Makoto screamed as she landed roughly on the ground below her.

"Oh my Lord, that hurt like hell, Suna…." Mako whispered to herself as she pushed herself up and looked around. She was sitting on a sidewalk near a small river that flowed next to her. She looked around and at the direction of the Sun.

"It must be near later afternoon… four, maybe five o'clock?" She questioned herself aloud. She looked down at the ground and picked up the picture of the boy.

"Gezz…. I wouldn't want to forget that… although, that face is a little hard to forget…" She spoke softly to herself looking at the orange haired boy with cocoa eyes that made her blush.

"This may turn out to be a fun mission after all!" She whispered to herself once again.

"Kurosaki Ichigo…. Strawberry?...hehehe, kind of a funny name for a guy…" She smiled looking down at the picture. While lost in thought, abruptly the picture was ripped from her grasp.

"What the Hell-" Makoto screamed and looked up to meet the faces of a group of guys, each looking like they wanted a fight. Well, damn… God forbid she get any peace whether she was on Earth, Earth or well…whatever 'Earth' this was…

-:-

"Stupid dad… Why couldn't he send Karin or Yuzu to pick up the groceries? I have homework to do!" Ichigo audibly complained to himself as he walked down the street heading back to his house, large brown paper bags in hand. He was getting ready to turn the corner then heard, "What the Hell!" screamed by an obviously pissed off girl. He poked his head around the corner, not wanting to interrupt but at the same time know what was going on… Was he ever glad that he did.

-:-

She looked up at the guy who took the picture from her and sneered.

"Look guys, she's got a boyfriend… And it looks like it's the Kurosaki kid. Hehehe, I'm sure after all the times he's pissed us off, he won't mind if we ruffle his girl up a bit, right?" The boy with the shoulder length brown hair spoke to his friends as they laughed eyeing her up and down.

"I'm here for two God damn minutes and I'm already going to have to kick some ass." She growled closing her eyes and rubbing her temples.

"My, my. Is that such a way for a lady to talk, and such an adorable one at that? And, is that what you think cutie? You really think your pretty little self can handle all four of us?" He asked her as she looked up, smirking menacingly.

"No…." She replied then stood up standing level to him.

"I could take ten of each of you. From the looks you've got on your face, it seems like someone's knocked a load of shit outta your face because when I first saw you, I wasn't even sure if you were men." Makoto smirked and watched their faces sneer and Ichigo smirked as he watched from behind the corner. He had to admit, the girl was amusing, but quite stupid.

"Fine, if that's what you want, then so be it." The obvious 'leader' sneered and walked up to Makoto and put his arm around her waist.

"This is your last chance to- Argh!!" He screamed as her fist slammed into his gut and she swung her leg around to kick the side of his head and sent him flying into a pole.

"Pardon; I couldn't quite hear you over the sound of your _jaw_ breaking!" She screamed in a sickeningly sweet voice and turned around just in time to duck from a punch the bigger guy threw at her. Just as she evaded that punch, another was sent towards her. She grabbed his hand and leaned back, quickly spun around in a circle and threw him at the approaching guy knocking them into a fence breaking the wood.

"One left…" She spoke catching her breath and moved into her fighting stance watching every move this guy made, the next thing she new she was off the ground and was being picked up by her collar and slammed against a tree.

_"How did he move so damn fast!?" _ She screamed in her thoughts and grimaced.

"What are you going to do now, little blossom?" He asked as her eye twitched at the name, only Haruka was allowed to call her that.

"What… Did you call me?" She seethed keeping her head hanging low.

"And this is where I come-…In… Damn that girl can fight!" Ichigo whispered to himself and watched in utter shock at her unexpected fighting movements.

"I called you-Ahh!" Makoto had slammed her head into his and grabbed a hold of his collar so that her palms were parallel with his chest and swung her legs forward and then ran her legs backwards up the tree pushing herself over his head and used her momentum to throw him forward about thirty feet away.

"HA! I've been DIEING to try that move on someone for almost a month!" She hissed dusting herself off.

"Not exactly the day to be wearing a skirt is it Mako?" She asked herself then looked around at the damage she had caused.

"Man! I kicked your asses and handed them to you didn-" Makoto's victory dance was cut short by a swift kick on her side, which, God forbid anymore irony, to be the side that was cut open last night by the sword wielding man of the Soul Society. She fell to the ground, the familiar crimson liquid already seeping through her school fuku as she tried to catch her breath.

"It seems like you forgot about me, toots." She heard the man say as she looked up to see his leg swinging back in slow motion to kick her. She tried to move but her side forbad it, and watched as it grew closer and she braced herself to feel the pain but instead heard a body crash around.

"And it seems like YOU don't know how to shut the hell up! Didn't your mother's ever tell you not to hit girls?" She heard another male voice yell and she looked up to see the mans' body crashing to the ground.

Her breathing was still labored and she looked around for her savior and then felt a tight grip on her shoulder. Out of complete reflex and panic, she threw her fist into the person's face and swept her leg across their ankles sending them crashing to the ground. She grabbed their collar and pulled their face close to hers.

"I swear to God I'm going to kill you-"

"What the HELL is your problem!? I just saved your life!" Ichigo screamed and Makoto's face was bright red as her mouth dropped and she let go of his collar. She silently stood, flabbergasted and walked over to the unconscious 'Leader', grabbed her picture and looked back and forth between Ichigo, who was now standing up, and the picture.

"Well… This was simpler than I thought it would be…" She said to herself as Ichigo yelled to her while walking over,

"I asked you a question!"

"Are you Kurosaki Ichigo, by any chance?" She asked ignoring his question with her own, and he was now only a few feet away from her. He looked down at the picture and back at her.

"That's the other thing, why do you have a picture of me?" He asked in a disgusted manner, as if she was come lunatic stalker of some sort. She ignored the attitude at which he spoke to her and distracted herself by looking at him, seeing the bruise on his face beginning to become prominent.

"I need your help Ichigo-San to… to…" She began to feel her body sway back and forth.

_"No, no! Not now, just hold on for a few more seconds!" _She thought to herself and placed her hand on his shoulder for support.

"Hey… Um, you don't look too good, maybe you should-"

"No, please listen, Ichigo! This is important, you must- you must help… me save my friends…. From the…" She spoke and felt her knees buckle from underneath her and him hold onto her shoulders.

"Hey, girl! Can you hear me!?... Aw, damn it to hell!" He yelled and picked her up rushing back to get the groceries, and heard her whisper,

"The Soul… Society…" He almost tripped over the nonexistent object as he ran when he heard those words fall from her lips. He glanced down at her as he ran to his houses clinic.

"Shit… She's bleeding… That wound, there's no slash mark on her clothing… It has to be from a different fight, but recent." He spoke and ran faster to his house.

-:-

Everything was so soft… Soft and warm, it was so relaxing and tranquil… Her body felt like a stiff board and refused to bend. She sighed and turned over in the bed trying as best as she could to not howl in pain at the slightest movement. She began to hear distant voices.

"But why would the wound be from a sword?... Do you even have any idea who she is?" She heard a male voice speak. Her eyes shot open and she quickly sat up in the bed. Everything was rushing back to her. Hotaru, Rei, the fight, and…

"Ichigo." She whispered and threw the covers off of her body. She tried to stand but fell back onto the bed holding her side in pain.

"Shit… That hurts…" She whispered holding her side gingerly and lifted up her shirt to see a tight bandage around her torso.

"You were lucky that Ichigo got you here when he did. If he was a minute later you would have been dead… are you feeling alright? You were cut pretty deep when we got you…" A diminutive and kind voice asked her as she looked up to see a small little girl with honey blonde hair and eyes the identical color of Ichigo's. Makoto was stunned at first to see such a small girl who looked only to be about eleven or maybe twelve.

"Um… yeah, I'm okay, really. I should be fine in about a day, I guarantee it." Makoto smiled down at the girl and tried to get up more slowly this time but was stopped.

"Please! I don't want you to hurt yourself! That wound was horrible, and if you move too much, you'll reopen it once again." The girl cried holding onto Makoto's arm as she looked down at her with a confused look. Well it wasn't everyday that you met such a caring person out of nowhere! She smiled kindly as she sighed and then lowered herself to the bed.

"Fine… I'm Kino Makoto, who are you?" Makoto asked kindly sitting on the edge of the bed smiling at the girl.

"Kurosaki Yuzu, it's nice to meet you Kino-San." She smiled back.

"Please, just call me Makoto... So, you're Ichigo's sibling? Please tell me, is he here? I must speak with him immediately." Makoto spoke sternly.

"I was just going to tell you the same thing." She heard a voice say from behind and turned to see Ichigo standing in the doorway.

"Yuzu, let me talk to her alone okay?" Ichigo asked as Yuzu stood up and smiled,

"As long as you don't let her stand… I can't have her getting hurt when dad left her in my care, Ichigo." Yuzu lectured and walked out of the room.

"She's always so bossy…" She heard him mumble as he walked over to her and leaned against the wall.

"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" He demanded a bit too callously than she wanted and sneered.

"Kino Makoto, and I need you to take me to a man named Urahara Kisuke and he will train me to be able to enter the Soul Society to save my friends who were taken as prisoners there…" She watched him pause for a minute, his mouth dangling open a small bit. She probably shouldn't have sprung it on him like that so quickly…

"And if I refuse?" He asked and she stood up growling.

"Why would you even say that!? It's not like I'm asking you to rip off your own arm for me! We're talking about saving innocent lives and keeping the destruction of a world from coming!" She screamed flailing her arms about and stopped in mid swing, almost like someone froze her in time.

"Adhh." She gasped and collapsed on the bed breathing heavily. His expression softened somewhat and looked at her holding her side, face distorted into a painful cringe.

"That wound's from one of the Soul Reapers isn't it?" He asked as she looked up and nodded glumly. She bit her lip and smirked mockingly as she began remembering the happenings of two nights ago.

"He came out of nowhere… I didn't have a chance." She answered and looked up at the orange haired boy she needed the assistance of.

"So… Will you help me or not?" She trying to sound stern but ended up looking at him with a pleading expression. She watched him for a while and then he answered,

"Tell me… Where are you from? And what exactly are you?" He asked and watched her stiffen.

"Heh, I could sense you as soon as you entered this world… Your aura is massive and I'm sure I'm not the only one that felt it." He smirked and watched her calm down and then reach for something in her pocket. He watched curiously and attentively as she grabbed a small wristwatch with a strange symbol on the front and flipped it open. He was shocked to hear a voice come from it.

"Mako-chan! Are you alright!? Are you okay!? You should have called sooner! I was so worried that you were hurt! I-"

"Usagi… I need to talk to Setsuna. And I… I'm fine.." She replied smiling at her princess, she would always lie through her teeth to make the golden-haired teen happy.

"Hai, Mako-chan! SUNA! IT'S MAKO; SHE'S ALRIGHT AND WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!" Ichigo and Makoto both sweat dropped at the obnoxiousness of her voice.

"Makoto, what is it? What's wrong?" A more mature voice came from the small device.

"I found Kurosaki Ichigo… He wants to know." She replied and he raised an eyebrow at her statement.

"You may tell him and his friends, they will assist you in your battle, but other than them and Urahara, no one else it to be informed, understood Makoto?" The voice asked and just as she was about to reply the communicator was pulled out of her hand.

"Who the Hell do you think you are to think that I was going to tell her yes?! What if I said no, huh!?" He shouted at the beautiful green haired woman as she smiled.

"Kurosaki-San, I know the past of your mother the present of Kuchiki Rukia, and future of your struggles to save her with Makoto by your side. Good luck on your travels." And then the screen went blank and he stared in awe at the static on the screen.

"Give me that!... I didn't even get to tell her goodbye." Makoto spoke sullenly and went to grab the communicator from him but he caught her hand in a tight grip.

"How did she know all of that about me?" He seethed and she pulled her hand out of his grip as well as the communicator.

"Well, if you'd let me talk, I'd tell you!" She shouted and closed her communicator placing it inside of her pocket; its usual living space.

"Have you heard of the legend of the Sailor Senshi, Ichigo?" She asked and watched as he nodded his head.

"Good, this makes my life simpler. I am Kino Makoto, third in command of the Sailor Senshi, crowned Princess of Jupiter and Sailor Jupiter: Senshi of lightning, nature and protection." She replied and watched his expression change to disbelief.

"Hahahahahaha! That's good! The Sailor Senshi are myths, legends, and even if they did exist they were all killed over a thousand years ago on the _moon_! The moon you idiot, it's physically impossible!" He replied and looked down at her simmering expression.

"That would be the help of our Sailor Crystals, and are you going to keep talking or listen to what I have to tell you?" She snapped and he looked down at her.

"You're really serious aren't you, you psychotic chick?" He asked her as she nodded, to the response, not his damned name calling. Ignoring his prepubescent ways, she waved him on to continue.

"Fine, tell me what you have to say, but I'm not saying that I'll believe you." Ichigo replied and leaned against the wall as she began telling him everything all the way up to present point.

"I was walking home with Rei and Hotaru… I had promised them that we would go to a movie for Taru's fourteenth birthday and Rei tagged along saying that she needed to get away from the Shrine… We were coming home from the movie and all of the sudden my sight went black and I heard Hotaru scream and Rei shout for me to move… By the time I stood up, they were both gone, but the man was still there. I couldn't see him, but all that I knew was that he had taken them away. I fought like my own life was on the line… but that wasn't enough in the end. I hit him once and got a quick glimpse of his face but it wasn't enough. All I know is throughout the battle; I heard the sound of bells. I will never give up on them, I will get them back and I am the only one that can do it. That is why I need your help… What do you have to say?" She asked and looked at him, and he looked like he was in deep thought. Suddenly he was kicked to the floor and being stepped on. Makoto fell back on the bed trying to keep away from the brawl and watched as a man with dark brown, spiky hair attacked Ichigo and knocked him to the floor.

"I told you to leave the patient alone, and go make dinner!" The man shouted as Ichigo kicked him off and stood up dusting himself off.

"And I said tell Yuzu! I have things to deal with!" Ichigo shouted as the man stood up to see Makoto with large eyes and a huge sweat drop. The man smiled and walked over to her and placed a thumb on her wrist.

"Your heart rate is normal…" He then placed a hand on her forehead as she blushed at the attention.

"And your fever is gone as well. Now, let's check that wound of yours-" He said as he grabbed the bottom of her shirt and she fell off of the bed blushing.

"Hahahahaa… Um, you know that's okay!... I'm fine!" She yelled trying not to show that she really was in horrible pain right now as Ichigo rolled his eyes at her reaction.

"Well, if you say so, but you should stay over night tonight, just to make sure you're alright." He replied and walked over to Makoto and grabbed her hand, pulling her up.

"By the way, I am Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father. Are you two acquainted from school?" He asked and Makoto shook her head.

"No actually, I just came here…" She replied with a kind smile as he looked back at Ichigo and said,

"You should talk to her; she seems nice and looks like a keeper!" The man smiled with zest as Makoto blushed and turned away as Ichigo growled at his father's annoying and unless antics. You could almost see a small crimson tint present on his face.

"Okay, okay… Well Miss. Makoto, will you come and join us for dinner?" He asked then paused and turned to Ichigo.

"Oh wait, I forgot… We won't be having dinner since Ichigo decided he was too busy to make it!" He shouted at his son.

"Shut up dad! I said I-"

"I'll make it." Makoto interjected numbly, looking at the two as they stopped in mid rant and stared at her.

"What?" Isshin asked.

"I'll make dinner. I don't mind really." Makoto smiled kindly at the two bickering Kurosaki's as Isshin replied,

"No, there is no need for you to do that Makoto; you might even reopen your wound."

"Please, I'll be careful besides, I would like to repay you for your kindness…" She paused and looked at Ichigo and finished,

"…All of you." She grinned as Isshin looked at her.

"Fine." He replied and she smiled happily in victory. Isshin then turned and looked at Ichigo menacingly while adding,

"But Ichigo must help. You're not getting off that easily!" Ichigo sighed in pure frustrated annoyance.

"Fine." He grumbled and Makoto rolled her eyes at his childish immaturity. Isshin then walked out of the room and Makoto looked up at Ichigo.

"You know what I'm going to ask you." She answered not letting her eyes leave his. He replied by sticking out his hand, a smug look on his face. She smiled grabbing his hand.

"Kino Makoto."

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

"I swear to you Kurosaki Ichigo, that if you cover my back, I'll cover yours." She added as he replied,

"Deal." And so it was.

-:-

"Can you chop _any_ slower; I mean if you can go ahead, I was just wondering if you could that is… I mean it's not like you HAVENT been on the same piece since we started or anything that's-"

"Oh shut up! You do your thing and I'll do mine!" He yelled as she stirred as bowl of batter and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you have to move to do 'your thing'!" Makoto shouted and turned around and booted him out of the way with her hip and took the knife.

"Move over and let me show you how to do this!" She grumbled and looked at the completely butchered potatoes and sighed irritably.

"Okay, look. You have to just peel around the edges, it's not about strength, you have to be gentle and not peel off too much of the insides." She spoke as he watched as she skillfully showed him that it was a piece of cake.

"You get it? Or do I have to show you again?" She asked teasingly as he blushed as she poked fun at his stupidity.

"Just give me the damn thing." He grumbled and took the half peeled potato and began doing it just as she had shown him how and smirked.

"Gezz, I didn't think someone named Strawberry could be so mean and bitter." She giggled and watched as he stiffened.

"For your information, Kino it's spelled "Ichi" as in one and "Go" as in guardian. And I swear if you were a guy, I'd kick your ass right now." He replied as she rolled her eyes. 

"Oh, just shut up and peel you potato Strawberry-kun." She replied and giggled at his pissed off expression.

"Oh, come on! Lighten up! We're going to be spending enough time with each other so why not relax and take that constant scowl off of your face for once; it makes you look more welcoming if you do." She added as he scoffed.

_"It's not like I can make fun of her name "sincerity of the wood" that's like the most girlish name I've ever heard of!" _ He thought bitterly to himself.

-:-

Finally, dinner had been accomplished and Makoto actually survived without being brutally batter with the potato knife. She set the food on the table and inhaled the aroma.

"This actually didn't turn out half bad… Ne, Strawberry-kun?" She asked and looked to see Ichigo simmering and sighed.

"Fine! If you're going to act like a baby then I won't call you Strawberry anymore!" She shouted and moved the plates to the table.

"You're the one that's being childish! Who the heck calls people 'Strawberry-kun'!? What kind of a name is that!?" He shouted and she giggled seeing the opportunity.

"Yours apparently." That was it. He was done.

"You know what Kino, I have ha-" Ichigo stopped when someone entered the room, interrupting him as they did so.

"What's your problem now Ichigo? You're always shouting about something." A girl scowled as she sat down at the table and looked at Makoto.

"You're the girl that was hurt aren't you? Are you okay now?" The girl with onyx hair and cocoa eyes asked.

"Um… Yeah, I'm better… Not totally, but I'm getting there." Makoto smiled and took a seat next to her and extended her hand.

"I'm Kino Makoto, so you're Ichigo's other sister I take it?" Makoto asked as the girl shook her hand and replied,

"Karin, and yeah, I am."

"So, is your brother always so melodramatic and angry?" Makoto asked and watched Karin smirk.

"Yeah, pretty much. He's always angry about something lately, though." She replied as Makoto laughed.

"Would you shut up and stop talking about me like I'm not even- Umph!" Ichigo screamed and was knocked to the floor again by his father.

"There will be not fighting at the dinner table, Ichigo!" He shouted then sat down next to a plate that he deemed his own.

"Damn it dad!" Ichigo shouted angrily and plopped down in his chair.

"Ichigo, you really should calm down. It's not good for your health to always be so angry." Yuzu replied and took a seat next to him while he sweatdropped as his eye twitched.

"Let's just eat." He mumbled impatiently.

-:-

"That… Was amazing Makoto!" Isshin shouted happily as he practically licked the plate so much that Makoto began to worry that the ceramic paint might come off. Mako blushed and grabbed the empty plates and walked over to the sink.

"Makoto-san, you don't need to do that! You've done enough by making this wonderful dinner." Isshin protested as Yuzu chimed in,

"That's right, I'll do it."

Makoto ignored them and turned the water to the sink on.

"Really, it's my treat like I said! You guys have helped me, now it's my turn to help you." Makoto smiled and looked over at the steaming Ichigo and smiled as she turned back to the dishes.

"And you should thank Ichigo as well; he helped me out with everything." Makoto added smiling to herself and began scrubbing the plates.

"Not from what I heard… It sounded like he couldn't even boil a potato." Karin snickered while Ichigo fumed.

"Just shut up Karin! Who asked you anyway!?" Ichigo retorted with fury.

"So, where is it that you're staying, Makoto?" Isshin asked as Makoto stiffened and Ichigo had many things flying through his head on how to lie to his father.

"Um… Actually at the moment, I have… nowhere that I'm staying." She replied and began scrubbing the dishes.

"Well, what about your parents? Maybe you should call them to let them know where you are and that you're okay." Isshin protested holding up his finger and suddenly they heard the clanking of dishes in the sink and looked to see that Makoto had sat the dish down and turned around tears in her eyes as she spoke with a smile.

"Um… My, um parents were both killed in a plane crash when I was… When I was seven years old." She spoke and Ichigo along with everyone else in the room became silent out of utter shock.

"And um… I am an only child as well as my parents… And both of my grandparents passed away before I was born…. I've been living on my own ever since…" Makoto spoke and turned around, not wanting these people to see her cry or pity her like everyone else had. She silently cursed herself for letting them see this weakness in her and bit her lip trying to suppress her sobs and watched as her tears spilled down onto the few clean dishes.

_"Both of her parents died when she was only seven?... How could she have survived on her own?" _Ichigo thought as he watched her form shake and quiver as she tried to cover up her sobs. Abruptly Karin spoke up,

"You saw it didn't you?... You saw it happen right in front of you." She said as Makoto turned around and looked at them and smiled, like everything was okay and tears weren't spilling down her red face.

"Karin…" Yuzu and Isshin hissed but Makoto replied anyway.

"My seventh birthday was coming up and I told my parents that for my present I wanted to go to this amazing Karate school in Osaka… My father, always wanting to please me, said yes on the spot… but my mother told me that I shouldn't go and that I was too young to do something like that… It ended up she said yes and I flew down there by myself and what I didn't like along with my parents was that….. W-was that I would be spending my birthday there without them." Makoto spoke and paused to wipe some of the tears on her face and continued.

"So on the day of my birthday, one of the counselors told me that they needed to take me somewhere for a special birthday present… He ended up taking me to the airport and obviously I had figured out that my parents were coming to see me… A-and as their plane was landing we watched from the wind-dow and…" She stopped an bit her lip and looked up tears now spilling profoundly from her eyes

"And just as they were about to land, I watched something explode on the side of the plane, and then the whole plane exploded and – and fell to the ground right in front of m-my eyes!" She shouted and put her head in her hands and cried and then looked up,

"I-I-'m sorry… Exc-cuse me!" She shouted and ran out the door. For a few seconds no one moved then Ichigo snapped out of it and jumped up.

"Aw, damn it!" He growled and slammed his chair against the wall behind him as he dashed after her in the direction she was in pursuit of. He threw the door open and took off and looked both ways in the street and didn't see any sign of her.

"Shit!" He yelled and took off veering right.

-:-

Makoto didn't know where she was running to or how to get back but all she could think was 'keep running', as all the memories that she had made her self suppress and forget about to keep this from happening, were all coming back. She remembered her father tucking her into bed and kissing her goodnight, she remembered her mother and her fighting over stupid things and she remembered her teaching her the first time how to cook. She stopped and sat down on a bench and cried into her hands.

"Why is everything going so wrong!? We were fine for months then out of the blue this happens!" She cried into her hands then heard something inhale deeply right next to her neck. She froze, her body shaking and trembling while shivers danced along her spine.

"Well, well, well. The delicious soul I've been searching for all day belongs to a beautiful little girl who's crying… they always taste so much more delicious when they're emotional." The thing licked its lips as Makoto stood up and backed away.

"So, you can see me!? Well, this is going to make things more interesting now won't it?" It asked. The monster had to be thirty feet tall and had a spiteful looking mask on its face. Then something came back to her thoughts that Artemis had told her earlier

_"There are things that lurk in both of those worlds that are far worse than any Youma you've defeated." _

"You couldn't have been anymore right Artemis…" Makoto whispered to herself.

-:-

So, I hope this was up to standards for everyone! And I'm a bit of a newbie to BLEACH so if I messed up on anything, please let me know! I hope this wasn't too horrible for anyone, lol. I really hope you liked it, and I already have most of chapter two written, but it will probably be a while before I update since the next thing I have to update is Written in The Stars and then Desert Rose! You know what to do, review!! Lol! And please ignore my grammatical errors, as always! Love you guys!

-Kat


	2. Embarrassments and Captivity

Wow… That's all I can really say to you guys, is wow… Never in my whole life would I have expected twelve reviews for this first chapter!... Thank you all so much, you have no idea how happy you've made me! And to show my appreciation, go to my profile and near the bottom is a link to a picture of Ichigo and Mako that my friend on DeviantArt drew for me! So therefore I dedicate this chapter to Christi-Chan for being so kind and drawing that freakin' awesome picture for me!! Glomp! Okay I know this AGAIN was supposed to be an update for WITS and not this, but you guys made me so happy that I had to hurry and update this! So I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good… Hehe, no, but I probably am… Sorry anyhoo- I solemnly swear that the next chapter that I post **_will_** be WITS… Scouts honor!

Disclaimer- I own nothing

The Ties of Fate

Chapter Two: Embarrassments and Captivity

"Come on now my little beauty; surprise me with some-arg!" Suddenly the Hollow was thrown back as lightning surrounded its body.

"Does this surprise you enough!?" Sailor Jupiter screamed furiously, electricity crackling around her body.

"What the hell are you!? Some kind of Soul Reaper!?" It screamed and stood back up as she scoffed.

"Tsk! I'm a Sailor Senshi you bastard!" She screamed snarling- making sure that she kept her distance between herself and the Hollow.

"Well, I've never had a Sailor Senshi before, but they look pretty damn tasty to me!" It screamed and suddenly in the blink of an eye it was behind her, slamming her into a wall and pinned her there as she struggled to move.

"Now just hold still while I slowly suck you bone dry and then I'll rip your head off and suck out your insides… How does that sound, beauty?" It asked her as she sent electricity through her whole body and the Hollow was thrown off of her.

"It sounds like to me that you're going to go hungry tonight!" She screamed and centered electricity around her fist and charged at the Hollow but was smashed into the ground, knocking the breath out of her.

"So you want to play rough do you? Well, you can only last for so long." It laughed and then suddenly she felt a moist and slimy tongue wrap around her legs, pulling her to the ground.

"Ahh!" She shouted and tried to kick it off of her, but her legs wouldn't move.

"What the hell!?" She screamed and tried to pull it off but then her hands became numb.

"Hehehehe… Can't you see Sailor Senshi? Anything that my saliva touches becomes useless and numb." It laughed and she simmered.

"Surpreme Thunder!" She screamed as electricity once again zapped around the Hollow's body and it retracted its tongue.

"That hurt you little bitch!" The Hollow screamed and lashed its tongue on vital parts of her body. Needless to say, within a few moments she was lying helplessly on the ground. She breathed in stale night air and watched as the Hollow walked closer to her.

"You weren't much fun. You had a little shock in you, but not enough to harm me." It laughed and opened its mouth to bite her and she waited to feel the teeth sink into her defenseless body but felt something soft.

"You pissed me off, but I've still got your back, as long as you've got mine." She gasped at the voice she heard and looked up to see Ichigo holding her. She blushed and looked up at him.

"Ichigo…" She whispered softly.

"How touching! And look, Beauty led another delicious soul into my hands! I'm not sure which one I want to eat first, the boy or the Sailor Senshi!"

"Put me down! Put me down! Go fight it while you can!" She screamed angrily as Ichigo slowly sat her safely on the ground, propped up against the fence and turned towards the Hollow, readying himself. The Hollows' eyes looked at the two back and forth trying to decide on which to choose.

"I think I'll start with the Senshi to see how well she really tastes! And _then_ I'll wash her down with Carrot Top!" It screamed and ran towards Makoto as she shrieked.

"Pickmeup! Pickmeup! PICKMEUP!" She shouted and looked up to see Ichigo standing in front of her as he had just punched the Hollow so hard that it opened the Hollows' mask.

"What are you-" She watched as the Hollow fell to the ground.

"My God…" She whispered and looked at the damage that he caused to it.

"Come on! Do something before it wakes up! Get rid of it or whatever you do!" She screamed and he walked over and punched its face once more, and that was enough to completely break off its mask. As soon as its mask was off Makoto began to feel her legs again and wearily stood up and walked over to Ichigo.

"Ichigo I-" Makoto then latched onto Ichigo as the Gates of Hell arose from the ground and he felt her quivering at the sight of it.

"Don't' worry, it's the Gate of Hell, that's where Hollow's are sent that have committed sins before they were turned into Hollows… It won't touch you; it's here for only him." Ichigo reassured her as she gulped and released his shirt.

"I will get you, Senshi! Don't forget it!" The Hollow screamed as she latched back onto his shirt and he snickered at her.

"You just kicked his ass and you're afraid of him? He's not coming out of there, you baby." He snickered and turned around to see her sullen look.

"Well, it looks like you weren't lying about who you were…" He spoke but she didn't look up.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you and for making such a scene back at your house…" She spoke sadly as she untransformed right in front of him, her school uniform back on her body after a few shimmers. She sat down on the bench and pulled her knees to her chest as he walked up to her and sat down beside her.

"Ah, it's no big deal… our family's dealt with things worse than the scene you made." He tried to reassure her, but it didn't seem to be working. He sighed and looked down at her and saw that her eyes were all misty again and began to freak out.

"Uh-Uh..Um, don't you start crying again I-" She cut him off and looked up.

"Do you know what the last thing I told my mother was when I got on that plane to leave, Ichigo?" She asked as he bit his lip and shook his head. She looked back down at the ground before replying.

"I told her that I hated her… Isn't it horrible?" She looked up at him and laughed sadistically, but cried at the same time.

"I can't even remember what we were fighting about. But after I told her that, she kissed me on the cheek and told me that… That she loved me." She spoke in a choked manner and bit her lip trying not to cry, not wanting to give him that burden.

"I always try to forget those memories… But since I've been here… I can't keep them out of my mind, both the good and the bad… they hurt just the same... I buried my parents on that birthday… I'll never forget how each one after that felt…" She spoke as tears slid down her cheeks while she didn't even blink. Ichigo looked down at her; his expression could have mirrored her own.

"I know… I feel the same way, Makoto…" He spoke and her head snapped up. The flashback of the house came back to her… She hadn't even noticed that their mother wasn't present at the table while they ate.

"I-Ichigo… I'm… I'm so sorry! Here I've been blubbering like a baby, telling you all of my problems when you feel the same as I do, I'm sorry-"

"It's nothing like my case Makoto… You lost everything, while I still have something… And I always thought I had it worse than anyone else…" He replied, but didn't look at her. Suddenly it all happened to fast it took a while for him to feel it.

A tingling and stinging sensation was printed on his cheek he looked down to see a fuming girl.

"How can you say that!? She was your mother and you act like nothing happened! Just because you only lost **her** doesn't mean that you shouldn't let yourself feel how bad it hurts to have that place in your heart empty! My parents were everything to me, and I still feel that hole, but you only convinced yourself that it was a pinprick in your heart…" Makoto hissed and stood up, briskly walking away. She couldn't stand it anymore, she was afraid she was going to kill him if she stayed near him any longer, she was going back to his house.

-:-

Dark amethyst eyes glared forward as she slowly brushed her long ebony hair away from her face. It had been three days since she and Hotaru had been taken away from Tokyo and into this world that she knew too much and too little about.

She had been sitting in this room plotting so many ways to take Hotaru back home safely. She knew that they only brought her back here as a consolation prize… But she now knew that they both had something that the Soul Society needed… But she didn't know what it was that they wanted so desperately from her…

"Hotaru is the Senshi of Death… They have many uses they can apply her to… I have to find out what it is, and get her back home… She doesn't deserve to be placed within all of this chaos…" Rei whispered to herself as she played with ends of her hair. She looked up and out the window of her chamber and at the sky.

"Mako-chan…. I felt you enter that world… I know your power from anywhere… But you can't come here or you will be killed." Rei spoke softly as unwanted tears began to fill in her eyes at just imagining the thought of having spilled blood on her hands. Suddenly something dawned on her and she reached into her pocket and felt her heart race. She slowly pulled out her communicator looking down at the small golden symbol of Mars and gulped.

She had little time to do this… She hoped that Hotaru would still have hers with her… If she didn't, everything she was willing to try would be in vain. She flipped the lid open and waited then saw Hotaru's sad yet serious face. She breathed easy upon seeing the younger Senshi.

"R-Rei-chan… What are we going to do? I asked that boy once he took me to my room about what he was planning on doing to us, he said that we… We both had something that the Soul Society needs to be destroyed!" Hotaru cried and bit her lip looking at Rei, whose face was frozen in shock.

"Rei…Rei-chan? What's wrong?" Hotaru asked fearing to know what Rei had realized.

"Hotaru, guard your communicator with your life. Don't call me unless it's an emergency… We can't have them taken away or everything will be destroyed. Keep safe, Firefly…" Rei whispered and then closed her end of the line.

Hotaru looked down at the static then hurriedly stuffed the small wristwatch back into her robes upon hearing the door open. She looked up to see the white haired boy walk in, his face the same serious look on it as he walked over to the Senshi of Silence. He handed her a tray of food, that didn't really look too appetizing.

"Thank you…" She whispered and took the food graciously. He nodded and turned to walk away but she caught his hand and as suddenly as she did, she felt a sword pressed against her throat.

"I-I-… I just wanted to ask you your name." She whispered; her jaw quivering as he let a softened look appear on his face and he placed the sword back in its hilt. He watched her breathe easy as soon as the sword was removed from her neck.

"Hitsugaya Toshirouu." He spoke and she looked up at him, smiling and replied,

"Tomoe Hotaru, it's nice to meet you Toshirouu-san." Hotaru smiled as best as she could and stuck her hand out in greeting and watched as he looked down at it in confusion.

"_How can she be so buoyant when she was taken from her home and placed in this cell for reasons unknown to her?" _He thought then finally took her hand, both surprised that he did. He looked up at her and took his hand away and began walking to the door again.

"Good bye, Toshirou-san…" She spoke softly and watched him walk out as he gave her one last glance and shut the door behind him. He sighed and walked down the hall, the black haired, lilac eyed, female plaguing his thoughts and reminding him of a childhood friend.

"You are in charge of Tomoe Hotaru until further notice Toshirouu. Keep a close eye on her; she is capable of many things that you could never imagine." Toshirouu looked up to see Byakuya who was advancing towards him his robes billowing behind him.

"… But what about the one? The other that has come to retrieve her teammates?" Toshirou asked as Byakuya stopped right next to him and looked down.

"Kino Makoto was allowed to come here because she is the Sailor Senshi of Jupiter; the Senshi of Protection, Lighting and Nature… She was chosen long ago when we announced the treaty with the Silver Alliance to be allowed to enter this world and the ones of the living, but if she is to cause a disturbance we can stop her. Just as she tried to stop us when we took her Senshi. She will fight until her last breath, which is for certain. But we cannot let her succeed in retrieving her Senshi, or our world as well as the others will perish… They must be destroyed." Byakuya spoke calmly and began to walk away but Toshirou spoke one again.

"If it's just one girl, there will be no problem disposing of her nuisance." He spoke and Byakuya stopped in his tracks.

"Those who are underestimated are always the ones that become victors and succeed in the end… Do not underestimate this Senshi… She owns the name The Senshi of Protection and Courage after all, Toshirou." Byakuya spoke and walked on leaving a stunned and confused Toshirou.

-:-

Makoto's eyes were kept at the ground her whole way home…

"How can he not let any emotion through?... His mother is dead, that means he should feel something and let others know that he does in the first place…" Makoto whispered to herself as she walked along the dark and damp night streets. She looked up at the flickering street light above her then looked around at her surroundings and saw the Kurosaki household.

"Heh, wow… I guess I knew my way better than I thought…" She laughed quietly to herself in an unamused way. She sighed and just as she was about to open the door someone else did and felt herself in a tight hug.

"Makoto-san! It's alright! We have decided that you may live with us while you are here!" Isshin shouted enthusiastically as Makoto sweat dropped and tried to wiggle out of his hug of death.

"Dad, let her go! Obviously she's not going to hug you back." Karin scoffed and Yuzu giggled while he let Makoto down as she caught her breath.

"Well, actually you can stay if you want to that is and we need to hear what Ichigo has to say…" Isshin added and looked around.

"By the way… Where is Ichigo? He did find you, didn't he?" Isshin asked as Makoto froze and scratched the back of her head.

"_I can't tell him about the whole Hollow thing… Ichigo probably is in the same boat as the Senshi and doesn't tell his family!" _Makoto screamed to herself.

"Well… You see, Ichigo… He um-"

"I'm right here dad…" She heard a voice say from behind her as she jumped about ten feet in the air and turned around to meet his gaze as her eyes traveled to the hand print on his cheek and blushed while she looked at the ground.

"Ah, there you are! Ichigo, we've decided to let Mako-chan stay, what do you think!?" Yuzu shouted as enthusiastically as her father. Makoto bit her lip; she knew what was coming… Since she hit him and yelled at him, now he was going to make sure she didn't complete this mission and kick her out of his house…

"I don't really care." He replied and walked around her as her head snapped up and followed him as he walked by and she lowered her eyes to the ground once again, this time in a shameful manner.

"Ichigo! That's no way to treat Makoto-san! And what happened to your face!?" Isshin yelled after him and Makoto sighed.

"I really appreciate that you all are letting me stay here and I'm just a complete stranger… and I really want to apologize for making such a scene a while ago… I don't mean to be a nuisance for you all-"

"Makoto, there is nothing for you to apologize for… Besides, if you cook a meal you can stay as long as you want!" Isshin shouted as Makoto gave him a small smile.

"Thank you…" She replied and looked at the clock.

"Um… It's getting late… Do you mind if I wash up before bed?" Makoto asked as Yuzu popped up.

"Sure! I'll show you where the bathroom is, Mako-chan!" She shouted happily and pulled the brunette upstairs.

-:-

Makoto slowly pulled the shower curtain open and felt the freezing cold air hit her steaming body as she quickly grabbed the folded towel next to her. She sighed as she dried her body and looked at herself in the mirror, her expression was bleak.

"I-… I should go and apologize to him… He helped me even after all of the horrible things I said to him… Plus…" She gulped and continued.

"I have to ask him if I can borrow a shirt of his to wear to bed." She spoke softly and looked at her reflection blushing back at her.

She wrapped the towel around herself and walked out of the door and looked down the hallway to his room. She looked back and forth before walking out and then made her way over to his room. She stepped in front of the door and took a deep breath. She grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it and walked inside.

"Ichigo… Look I'm really sorry that-"

"OH MY GOD!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE!?" Ichigo screamed and tried to cover his naked body but didn't succeed. Makoto's jaw dropped as well as something else…

She couldn't move even if she wanted to… she couldn't make her eyes stop wandering even if she wanted to. Then she noticed Ichigo's face turn red and he began to stutter and noticed that he wasn't exactly looking at her face… She couldn't feel anything but the heat of her cheeks… Wait… Yes she could!... It was a little drafty…

"OAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed and picked up her towel trying to cover herself as quickly as possible and slammed the door behind her as she stood there for a moment then slid down against his door and pressed her hands to her heated face.

"OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGodohmyGod…." This continued for a while…

"This is the most embarrassing day of my life! I walked in on him changing a-and then…He…- he just saw me completely naked and all I wanted to do was say that I was sorry and ask for a damned T-Shirt!... He was… So… So hot though… No Mako! No! You have to focus!" She shouted to herself.

Down the hall peeking around the corner…

"I think she's a nutcase." Karin spoke bluntly as Yuzu stood next to her, her hand under her chin like she was in deep thought.

"I'm not sure yet…" She replied as Karin sweat dropped.

-:-

While Makoto was going through her complete breakdown she felt her body fly back and hit the ground. She looked up to see a blushing and fully clothed Ichigo staring down at her, as she turned an even more beet red. She quickly stood up and walked into his room.

"Haven't you ever heard of **knocking**?!" Ichigo seethed and leaned against his wall as he looked at her as she sat on his bed blushing and didn't retaliate not wanting to make a fool of herself again. She sighed and looked up, a blush still present.

"Look, Ichigo… I wanted to apologize to you for the way I acted and yelled and you… And… Slapped you, even though I'm not even a slapping person, but that's besides the point…" She whispered and then looked at him and blushed deeper as his naked image popped back into her head and she continued.

"A-and even though I did that to you, you still let me stay here… And I want to thank you for that… I'm sorry that I treated you so badly when all you did was turn the other cheek…" She finished and then looked up with sparkling eyes and blushing cheeks as she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice,

"Forgive me?" As he rolled his eyes and scratched the back of his head as her naked image reared its face in his mind.

"Whatever…" He replied as she sat on the edge of his bed.

"I need one of your shirts to wear to bed… Says your father…" She added and looked away as he sighed and walked over to the closet and opened it.

"Here." He said as she looked up to see a large T-Shirt being thrown in her direction and caught it. She looked up questioningly.

"What!? No bottoms!?... Do you expect me to sleep in my underwear or something!?" She shouted and he scoffed while blushing as he now pictured her in his shirt and only underwear.

"If you wanted pants you should have brought some before you decided to come on this ' Mission'." He replied as she rolled her eyes and stomped out of the room as he swore that he heard her cursing someone named Setsuna for telling her she needed to bring nothing. He shut the door and he sighed, flopping on his bed while blushing.

"This girl's going to kill me if I can't get that out of my head!" He shouted to himself and slammed his hands into his face.

Unknown to him someone had been watching the whole thing unfold and laughed maliciously.

-:-

Makoto sat down and began brushing her wet locks, the ginger haired boy still plaguing her thoughts.

"Strawberry-Kun… You have no idea what you're doing to me here…" She whispered to herself and then something caught her eye in the mirror and she turned around.

"Aww! How cute…" She whispered and walked over to the bed.

-:-

Ichigo sighed and walked over to his light switch and then something hit him.

"Wait a second… Kon? Where are you!?" Ichigo shouted, but no answer came. He shrugged and turned the light out and sighed.

"Thank God he didn't see any of that happen… If he did and told someone… I don't know what I'd do to him…" Ichigo growled and slowly began to fall asleep.

-:-

"What an adorable stuffed animal!" Makoto shouted and hugged the animal gingerly.

"I wonder if it was Ichigo's when he was younger?..." Makoto thought then blushed and hugged it again.

"Aw! How cute would that be to see mean 'ol Strawberry with a stuffed animal!?" Mako shouted and turned the light out then flopped on the bed. She yawned and hugged the small creature close to her body.

"I better get some rest… Tomorrow I'm going to make Ichigo take me to Urahara…" She whispered and slowly drifted off to sleep; unknown to her that the 'cute' stuffed animal was none other than the perverted Mod Soul: Kon.

-:-

He stretched and yawned as he turned over in his bed, sunlight streamed down on his face making his hair look even more of a flaming orange. He sighed and looked over at his clock.

"…9:30…. I should probably get up…" He told himself and threw the covers off of his body and began to get dressed.

He walked downstairs to see his father sitting at the table with a newspaper and a cup of coffee while Karin and Yuzu sat and ate breakfast. Just as he was about to sit down at the table he felt a fist slam into his head.

"You need to go wake up Makoto! You will eat when she eats!" Isshin yelled as Ichigo kicked him back.

"Why can't they do it!?" He screamed and pointed at his sisters who were ignoring the two males.

"Because she's YOUR guest! So go and kindly wake her up! I need to speak with her!" Isshin shouted and Ichigo stood up and began trudging up the stairs while cursing to himself. He found himself standing outside her door and then forcefully knocked.

"Hey! Makoto! You need to get up!" He shouted but received no response.

"Hey you lazy ass! Come on!" He shouted again and pounded on the door, but still didn't get an answer.

"Grrrr! I'm coming in!" He screamed and threw the door open to see Makoto completely asleep. He sweat dropped and walked over to her, that's when he noticed something that looked strange. There was a large lump under her shirt… And it was moving.

"Wh-what the Hell!?" Ichigo screamed and then his eye twitched. Kon popped his head out of the neck of her shirt.

"Shut up Ichigo! You're going to wake her up! And I just got comfortable, hehehehe!" The Mod Soul laughed and dived back under her shirt as Ichigo's eyes popped out of his head.

"KON! You son of a bitch! Get out of there!" He screamed and walked over to her sleeping form and heard him reply,

"Make me." He teased. Ichigo was now fuming.

"Kon, if you make me go in there I will kill you, you know that?" Ichigo growled and then he heard Makoto giggle and she began blushing.

"But it's _so_ worth it!" Kon replied as Ichigo's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Stop fondling her! You dirty little pervert! She's asleep for God's sake!" Ichigo shouted and Makoto giggled once again, her face now flushed.

"_If I don't help her… That's just wrong… If I do… I will have a fifty/fifty chance of being caught… And she would kill me if she found out that I didn't…This is a lose/lose situation…"_ Ichigo thought.

"Damn it, Kon!" He shouted and pulled up the bottom of her shirt and began feeling around for the S.O.B. that got him in this position in the first place.

" Kon!... You little!-" Suddenly Ichigo felt him brush against his hand and grabbed him.

"Gotcha you little bastard! I-………….. Sh-Shit…" Ichigo gulped and realized that stuffed animals weren't heated and looked over to see Kon sitting on the edge of the bed smiling maliciously.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she blushed seeing Ichigo looking down at her as she just woke up.

"I-Ichigo?... Um what are you doing in here?... Is everything alright-" That's when she became fully awake and she felt herself being suppressed. Ichigo couldn't move even if he wanted to… He was too afraid, like one of those things where you think if you don't move, they won't see you. Makoto's eyes looked down and an arrow drew to where half of his arm was missing and the other half was up her shirt.

**_"I-Chi-Go!"_** She growled and he was finally able to retract his hand and was blushing like mad.

"N-No! I-It's not what you think! It was him! His names Kon and he's a Mod Soul and can talk and is a pervert and was messing with you all night I tried to get him out of your shirt…." He was digging his own grave. Makoto stood up flames behind her and he backed up.

"Wait! See look!" He yelled and grabbed Kon.

"H-he can talk! Show her Kon!!" Ichigo shouted down at the lifeless animal.

"SHOW HER!" He screamed and began shaking Kon, but he wouldn't move.

"I- Agh!" Ichigo went flying out of the room and into the hallway leaving a dent where he landed.

"I'm going to kill you, you hentai!" She screeched and charged at him.

-:-

"Oh my! Do you think Ichigo's going to be okay?" Yuzu asked looking up towards the stairs where they could hear Makoto screaming and Ichigo's body being thrown into the many and various objects.

"I'm just glad to know Ichigo's becoming a man! I was starting to worry about him you know! Young love is always the most amazing thing!" Isshin shouted as he got hearts in his eyes while Karin stuck her tongue out in disgust.

-:-

"Sorry I didn't get up in time to make breakfast this morning. I was really tired from yesterday, I promise that'll I'll make it tomorrow for sure!" Makoto smiled as she sat down and ate her breakfast while a broken Ichigo sat next to her, a black eye beginning to appear.

"Oh, that's alright Makoto! And I wanted to ask you something." Isshin added and she looked up.

"How old are you?" He asked and she gave a confused look.

"Um… sixteen… Why?" She asked but he answered with another question.

"And what grade are you in?"

"I'm a Sophomore… Why?" She asked again, and he replied by shoving papers in her face a smile plastered on his own.

"Because if you're living with us, I signed you up to go to school with Ichigo!" He shouted and Ichigo spewed all of his orange juice out on the table.

"WHAT!?" He and Makoto both screamed.

"Well, yes… If you're still in school and came here… Weren't you going to continue anyway?" Isshin asked and Makoto blushed. It was a stupid reason to get upset but now this was making things even more complicated!

"B-But... HOW!? How did you do that!? You know nothing about me!" Makoto replied and put her head in her hand.

"_I come here on a mission and now I'm being babysat and made to do homework! This should be like a vacation/training session!"_ She thought.

"Well, I have some connections with the school, if you know what I mean." He laughed as she looked at him like he was crazy.

"And so, I was able to convince them that you needed to go here." He finished as she sweatdropped.

_"This guy is a total nutcase..."_ She thought to herself

"Dad, you're such an idiot! What's the point of signing her up for school here if there is only a few days of school even left!?" Ichigo shouted pointing out his mistake as Isshin sat and thought about it for a minute.

"Hahaha! Well, I guess you are right! But still, an education is something that should never be wasted! So any bit of school that you can get in will help!" He shouted zestfully as Mako and Ichigo sweatdropped.

"Well, Ichigo said he would show me around town so we better get going, right Ichigo?" Makoto fumed and he snorted knowing what she was talking about.

"Whatever." He replied and got up and walked over to the door as Makoto followed and shut the door behind them.

"Aren't they perfect!? They're completely in love, you can tell by just looking at the-" Isshin was shut up by a swift kick from Karin.

"Shut up dad…" She mumbled.

-:-

The whole walk to Urahara's was silent. No one even dared to make eye contact. She couldn't have been more thankful to see that the walk was short when they soon arrived at the small shop. She watched as Ichigo stepped in front of her and pounded not so lightly on the door.

"Hey Mr. Hat-and-Clogs! Open up! I have a girl here that wants to see you!" Ichigo shouted but there was no answer.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…" Makoto mumbled then pounded on the door herself.

"Hey! I need to talk to you! I was sent here to be trained by a Urahara Kisuke!" Makoto screamed and growled while still receiving no answer.

"Well, does he ever close up shop or something?!" Makoto shouted looking at Ichigo her face contorted into pure rage.

"No… Not unless something's wrong…" Ichigo answered.

_"The bastard's supposed to be here anyway so he can train **me**!"_ Ichigo thought angrily.

"Well… Then what am I supposed to do!? Suna's gonna be a little pissed if I don't start training now!" Makoto screamed then sighed heavily while she turned around.

"I start school tomorrow don't I?" Makoto asked in a monotone voice.

"Yeah…" He replied as he sat on the porch beginning for the all day stakeout and looked up to see Makoto looking at him like he was crazy.

"What now?" He seethed not particularly wanting to talk to her after what happened only a few hours ago.

"Hey! Don't get bitchy with me just because you have your perverted hentai ways about making up excuses for touching people about talking stuffed tigers you ass! Now get up because if your dad is making me go to school, that means I need to find more clothes than just my old fuku and your stupid T-Shirts!" She screamed and grabbed his collar pulling him off in the direction towards town.

"Are you sure we shouldn't have just let her in Sir? She seemed to act like she really needed your help." A tall and burley man said as he looked down at the store owner.

"Yep, we just need to keep an eye on her… I think I know what this is all about…" Urahara spoke while looking through the window at the brunette pulling the once substitute Soul Reaper.

-:- The Next Morning -:-

Makoto turned over upon hearing her alarm clock go off. Her hand smacked the small instrument off of the desk and she turned over on to her stomach planning on catching a few more minutes of sleep… But now she found herself in an odd position. She felt like there was a pillow stuffed under her shirt and the pillow was… The pillow was alive!? Her eyes shot open at the feel of something squirming around in her shirt and she heard muffled cries coming from underneath her. She quickly flipped over and grabbed whatever it was that was playing hide-and-seek in her shirt.

She pulled it out and her jaw dropped while her face turned an unbecoming violet. She was looking at the stuffed animal that Ichigo had blamed for being able to feel her up just the other morning.

"Y-y-you…." She couldn't even talk as Kon finally gave up the act.

"Hi Makoto! My names Kon it's a pleasure to meet such a-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ICHIGOOOOO!" She screamed running out into the hallway not caring that she was only in a long T-Shirt and underwear, with Kon in hand. She threw Ichigo's door open.

"What the Hell is **this**!?" She screamed holding Kon upside down by one leg… Then that's when things got even crazier.

"What did I say about knocking!?" Ichigo screamed at her as he only stood there in his boxers.

"O-Ooppsss… Sorry… W-well, at least we can answer the age old question: Kurosaki Ichigo, boxers or briefs?- Boxers!" She yelled nervously then threw the stuffed toy in his direction and ran back to her room.

"Mako wait! I thought what we had was special!" Kon yelled dramatically as Ichigo kicked him.

"Shut up! If it wasn't for you this wouldn't have happened in the first place!" He screamed.

-:- from outside Ichigo's window -:-

"What do you think is going on in there?" Mizuiro asked looking up at Ichigo's window in concern.

"Who cares?! Did you hear that girl!? That didn't sound like one of his sisters! -gasp- Maybe Ichigo's hiding a girl in his closet!" (Pun intended) Keigo shouted overdramatically as usual.

"You think?" Mizuiro asked looking at him astonished that Ichigo could actually do something like that.

"I don't think Ichigo's the kind of person to do that. But if he doesn't hurry we're going to be late." Chad spoke unemotionally.

-:-

"If I don't hurry I'm going to be late on my first day!" Makoto wailed to herself -much like Usagi always did- as she put on her new school fuku not believing that they had actually found her size…. Okay… Maybe they still didn't have her size.

"My God!! If it's going to be this short why don't you just let me wear the guys' uniform!?... Although the shirt does make me look rather chesty." She beamed at herself in the mirror, then snapped out of her dazed stage. The skirt was almost shorter than her Sailor Fuku!!

"No time to even try to lengthen it! I knew I should have tried this thing on last night!" She yelled to herself as she grabbed her shoes and put them on and then ran out her door running straight into Ichigo.

"Makot-"

"No time! We're late!" She screamed and ran past him and down the stairs leaving a trail of dust behind her.

"Later Isshin, Karin, Yuzu!" She screamed and blasted out the door.

"Well it's about time Ichi-…Go…" Keigo said then slowed down and looked to see Makoto running out the door, a determined look on her face. Keigo's and Mizuiro's heads snapped to look at each other then back at the charging Makoto.

"Hi I'm-"

"KinoMakotosorrynotime!" She yelled and blasted down the street, gone in mere seconds.

"Damn… She's fast." Chad spoke.

"No Chad! It's: Damn! She's hot!" Keigo shouted rather enthusiastically, then they heard Ichigo run out.

"Makoto! Damn that stupid girl!" He yelled.

-:-

"_I still can't believe I made it in time… No thanks to Ichigo though!"_ Makoto thought to herself while looking at schedule to see which class she had.

"Great! Home Economics! My favorite!" She shouted happily and quickly found the room. Just as she was about to enter a girl popped up in her way making her jump ten feet.

"Oh! Sorry I didn't mean to scare you! You must be the new girl! I'm Inoue Orihime!" She said and shook Makoto's hand as Makoto was surprised at how friendly this girl was.

"Hi, I'm Kino Makoto, it's nice to meet you Orihime." Makoto smiled as the orange haired girl pulled her into the class room.

"Come on, come meet my friends." She smiled and Makoto couldn't help but go along… She reminded her of Usagi and Minako with her bubbly attitude in all.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Kino Makoto! She's the new girl that everyone's been talking about!" Orihime shouted happily as Makoto gave her a questioning look.

"Talking about me?... What do they have to talk about?... I got here like ten minutes ago." Makoto replied and sat down.

"Do you have to ask!? God look at you! You're pretty, abnormally tall, and you've got boobs that can rival Orihime's!" Michiru shouted bluntly as Makoto blushed and looked the other way.

"Shut up Michiru, you're embarrassing her!" Tatsuki yelled as Makoto looked over her.

"_She reminds me of Ruka…"_ Makoto thought then was distracted by another person.

"So, why did you move here Makoto?" Michiru asked as Makoto stiffened. She forgot to make a plan and tell Ichigo as well!

"Yeah, Mako-chan… Is it because of a boyfriend of something?" Chizuru asked seductively as Makoto's eye twitched.

"U-um… No… I just-… Well my Uncle said that I needed to get away from Juuban and see something new because I got kicked out of my old school and so I came here because of friends." Makoto smiled inwardly at her almost non-lie.

"You got kicked out of your old school!? For what!?" Mahana shouted.

"Well… Fighting…" Makoto replied with a blush.

"No way! You!?" Michiru asked like it wasn't believable.

"Um, yeah. I was the best fighter back in Tokyo! I've been training since I was seven!" Makoto smiled proudly.

"Wow Makoto! You must be as good as Tatsuki! She's the best female fighter in Karakura Town!" Orihime added enthusiastically.

"Really?" Makoto asked now interested.

"I wouldn't mind sparing anytime I'm always up for a good fight." Makoto smiled over at Tatsuki.

"Deal." She replied with a smile.

"Anyway, back to what you were saying Makoto! You moved here because of friends?... Like who?" Michiru asked as Makoto thought about it. It shouldn't matter throwing Ichigo's name around! What are the odds of them knowing who he is!?

"Well, Kurosaki Ichigo. I'm living with his family." She answered; you could have heard a pin drop.

"No. Way." Michiru spoke.

"W-What?" Makoto asked.

"How do you know Ichigo!?"

"Are you guys like secret lovers or something!?"

"That's why you moved here wasn't it!?"

"N-no! Listen! –Guh…Um… Ugh… My-my uncle knows Ichigo's dad, Isshin, and so my uncle asked Isshin if it was alright if I could live with them while I go to this school seeing as I don't have any parents. Okay. It's not some crazy love story." Makoto replied and just as another question was going to be shot out of Michiru's mouth the teacher finally came in and carried on with class, saving poor Mako from any more lies.

Unknown to her that another pair of eyes were watching her and thinking of their own questions to ask her.

-:-

"_Thank God for lunch!"_ Makoto thought and grabbed her bento box.

"Now to find-omph!" Makoto huffed as she looked up to see Ichigo as he grabbed her arm.

"Ichigo! Hey I was just looking for you!" Makoto shouted and noticed his angrier than normal looking scowl.

"What now?" She asked as they walked along.

"Thanks to your little panty flashing this morning, my friends are DIEING to meet you." Ichigo seethed through his teeth.

"My what!? I-…." Makoto stopped and now realized what he meant. She looked down at the skirt and thinking of how fast that she had been running.

"I had to ask people why they were talking about me…" She growled to herself and began pulling at the short skirt subconsciously.

-:-

Makoto followed Ichigo to the front of the school and under a shaded tree.

"Are we going to be eating alone or someth-Ah!" She screamed as a boy with shoulder length brown hair stepped out from behind the tree making her jump frantically behind Ichigo.

"Hi there! I'm Asano Keigo! We met earlier this morning, Makoto hehehe." He replied as she blushed now knowing that she gave them a full view indeed.

"Yes… I suppose I did…" She replied. Saying she was blushing would be an understatement at the moment. She and Ichigo walked around to the other side of the tree to see two other boys sitting there.

"Makoto, this is Chad and Mizuiro." Ichigo spoke and sat down.

"Gee, thanks so much for the formal introduction." She grumbled. And then she realized something.

"Why don't you sit down and eat with us Makoto?" Mizuiro asked kindly as she blushed and began pulling at her skirt.

"Well I sure as hell would love to but seeing as this stupid school wouldn't just let me where my old school fuku instead of making me try to walk around with this now mini skirt, I can't because the panty show this morning-I'm telling you all now-was a one time thing." She growled trying to think of a way to pull this off. Then felt an article of clothing thrown at her and looked down to see Ichigo's long outer jacket in her grasp.

"Well I guess this could work." She mused and sat down placing that on her lap and folding her legs off to the side. She looked up to see two of the boys looking at Ichigo like it wasn't him.

"WHAT!?" He yelled looking up from his food.

"You know '**what'** Ichigo! You're trying to keep Makoto all to yourself!" Keigo shouted jealously as Makoto's eye twitched.

"WHAT!?" Ichigo yelled food flying out of his mouth.

"You like her, don't deny i- oaf!" Keigo then flew back and hit the tree.

"Would you shut up already!? I don't like her!" Ichigo shouted while Makoto sat there sweat dropping and looked over at Chad and smiled.

"You seem like the only normal one around here Chad. So, have you been friends with these idiots for long?" Makoto smiled and looked over at Ichigo who had Keigo in a headlock yelling something about fighting for Makoto's love.

"Yeah, I've known Ichigo for a while now. He's a good friend and you can't really help but like him." He replied.

"Yeah… He seems to rub off on you that way doesn't he?" Makoto asked looking over at the bruised and battered Keigo and Ichigo sitting down and finishing his lunch.

"So Makoto, why is it that you're living with Ichigo?" Mizuiro asked as both Ichigo and Makoto tensed at the question.

"Well… I'm staying with Ichigo because my Uncle knows his dad and I needed to come here because I was kicked out of my last school for fighting and since Isshin and my Uncle are good friends Isshin offered for me to stay with his family and blah, blah, blah, blah… And here I am." Makoto answered as Ichigo face vaulted thinking that she had just made that up off the top of her head.

"Wow… You got kicked out for fighting!?" Mizuiro asked amazed as Keigo had hearts in his eyes.

"Kino Makoto! If you don't like Ichigo, will you go out with me!?" Keigo shouted and both she and Ichigo spit their drinks out.

"E-excuse me?" She asked as the liquid dripped from her chin.

"Please! I love you!" He shouted as she looked at him like he was crazy then her eyes flashed over to Ichigo who was about to hit Keigo again but she stopped him by speaking.

"N-no you don't." Makoto replied.

"Yes I do."

"No trust me you don't. Do you want to go out with a girl that's taller than you and most likely can kick your ass?" Makoto asked as he nodded his head.

"No! No you don't! I'm a horrible person! I'm needy and whiney and- and I go from guy to guy… I'm very flighty; no one likes that in a woman!" Mako shouted.

"I think it's cute." He replied as she sweat dropped.

"I'm sorry Keigo… But I like someone else." She replied and Ichigo fell over.

"What!?" He and Keigo shouted simultaneously.

"Gezz we're five minutes into lunch and she's already caused a soap opera!" Mizuiro spoke to Chad as he nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I get it! So you live with Ichigo, so you love him!" Keigo shouted as Makoto blushed and began stammering.

"N-no! I-it's not that! It's just that I have- a boyfriend!" Makoto lied through her teeth.

"Oh really!? If you want to shoot me down just tell me don't lie! I would ha-"

"Oi, Blossom." A deep voice said to the right of the group and everyone looked to see a blonde haired man wearing long slacks and a button up shirt standing next to an amazing looking convertible.

"Blossom? Who is he-" Keigo looked over to see Makoto stand up her mouth dropped and Ichigo's jacket fall to the ground.

"R-Ruka?... Ruka!?" Makoto shouted and ran to the woman and jumped into her arms hugging her tightly.

"Ruka! What are you doing here!? You know you can't be here! Have you talked to anyone about them yet I-" Makoto was stopped from talking by Haruka pressing a finger to her lips.

"You talk to much Koto." Haruka smiled as Makoto felt tears come into her eyes as she bit her bottom lip.

"Ruka-chan, you can't be here! What if the Soul Society finds you!? They'll take you too! I can't bear to loose another friend to those bastards!" Makoto whispered harshly and cried as she hugged her friend tightly while Haruka sighed and patted her back.

"I'll be fine Koto. You know they can't catch me." Haruka said with a smile as she tilted Makoto's head up to look her in the eyes and wiped her tears away.

"You look better when you smile, Koto." Haruka grinned and Makoto poked her playfully.

"Why are you here Ruka? Suna wouldn't just let you show up for no reason."

"Setsuna is here to speak with you and the Kurosaki kid. She is going to meet you when you go to Urahara's tonight. And when I found out that she was coming here, I couldn't let her leave without me. Usa-hime was so mad that she didn't get to come… She misses you Koto." Haruka replied as Makoto shook her head in understanding.

"I miss her too… I missed you all." She replied then she remembered something.

"Oh!... That's right… I need you to pretend to one; be a man and two; be my boyfriend… Please!?" Makoto begged now ready to lie with a straight face to these people.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time?" She asked skeptically.

"Come on, but no kissing crap!... I don't want and neither would Michi!" Makoto spoke lividly as Haruka rolled her eyes while they walked over.

"Um… Actually, and ironically… This is my boyfriend." Makoto smiled with a blush as she looked over at Ichigo who was purposefully looking the other way, his normal uncaring scowl present on his face as Makoto frowned.

"Tenoh Haruka nice to meet you." Haruka spoke and put her arm around Makoto's waist as she blushed and bit her bottom lip.

"So as you can see Keigo… I really wasn't lying to you… You were just a little too late that's all." Makoto replied with a smile as he looked the other way,

"I guess so." He replied uncaringly.

"Aww, Keigo! Now don't be like that! We can still be friends." Makoto smiled.

"Yeah, as long as you keep your hands off of her." Haruka added.

"Ruka…" Makoto hissed, not sure if she really meant it or was just taking the role of 'Mr. Protective-Boyfriend' too far.

"Well Blossom, you see-…. Look at all of those women." Haruka practically drooled and Makoto stamped on her foot.

"You have a girlfriend, remember Ruka?" She asked bitter sweetly.

"Hai Koto, chill." She replied coolly and put her hands behind her head.

"So are you about done here or what?" A voice asked and Makoto turned to see it was Ichigo.

"Ichigo!? What's your problem!? Don't talk to her…-him like that!" Makoto shouted stepping forward.

"This is the Kurosaki kid we've been talking about!? He's just a scrawny little kid! How's he gonna help you any!?" Haruka shouted laughingly.

"Haruka!" Makoto spat venomously.

"I think you better watch what you say Tenoh." Ichigo replied as he stood up.

"Oh you really think so Kurosaki!? Because from what I've been told you're not so tuff and I don't know why Koto has to sit and hang around here with someone like you!" Haruka shouted and walked in front of Makoto.

"Dammit you two!" Makoto shouted moving between them again.

"I'd like to know whose been telling you that, because now I'm gonna beat the hell outta ya!" Ichigo yelled and was pulled his fist back to hit Haruka but with Makotos' compatible to lightening speed, she moved in front of her and caught his fist shocking the three other boys.

"Please… Don't do this Ichigo. Please, you don't understand what's going on right now. I'll-"

"No I understand that I'm gonna kick his ass!"

"And for what God damn reason are you going to do that Ichigo!? Hum!? Yeah! Tell me that one genius! You beat the hell outta him then! Like I don't give a damn!" Makoto screamed as she became more pissed off that Ichigo wouldn't even reason with her. Her hand clenched his fist tightly then threw it down and she turned around to Haruka.

"I'll see you when I get home. If you touch him, you know what will happen… That goes for the both of you." Makoto growled as she grabbed her things and walked away and back to the school. Haruka looked over at the orange haired misfit who was glaring at her probably trying to decide whether he was supposed to hit her or not.

"You're lucky Kurosaki, that Koto likes you, or I would have beaten the hell outta you the minute you raised your voice to her." Haruka seethed and began walking back to her car.

"Wellllll…. Do you think you could get Makoto to come back and eat lunch with us tomorrow!?" Keigo shouted enthusiastically.

-:-

Makoto walked into her room and fell stomach first on the bed. Suddenly she felt something attack her head.

"Mako-chan! You're home!" Kon shouted as she pulled the stuffed tiger off of her head.

"Leave me be Kane, I'm not in the mood…." Makoto growled throwing him on the bed.

"It's Kon! Kon, Makoto!... Why what's wrong!?" Kon asked and ran over to her and took her head in his hands and turned her head to face his.

"Did Ichigo do this to you?" He asked as she threw her head on the pillow next to her.

"I don't want to hear his name again, let alone see him! I didn't even get a chance to tell him about Haruka and being my boyfriend!"

"W-w-wait! WHAT!? Ichigo's your boyfriend!?" Kon shouted angrily.

"What!?... No! I don't even have a boyfriend it's just that- Argh! Ichigo is such an ass! And he's so inconsiderate Kon!" She sighed and hugged the pillow beneath her.

"I know Mako-chan… I don't like him either." Kon replied as he patted her shoulder.

"But… That's just it Kon… I do-" Makoto was cut off by the knock on her door.

"Hey… Makoto…" The voice of the boy that they were just talking about, called from behind the door.

"Ichigo! Come back later! She is having a moment!" Kon yelled as Ichigo walked in to see Makoto sitting on the bed holding Kon.

"If you would have just listened to me before you got all 'I'm gonna kick your ass!' and chilled out… I was going to pull you aside to tell you that Haruka is a girl…" Makoto spoke and watched the wheels in Ichigo's mind turn and then he backed up.

"H-he-hey… Sorry I didn't know you were that way Makoto I fi-"

"Shut up while you're still ahead, Strawberry. Haruka's gay. I'm not. Is that clear enough for you?" She asked as she sat Kon down next to her.

"She showed up to tell me that Setsuna is here and she is going to meet us at Urahara's. Haruka came along because she missed me and wanted to see me… Setsuna knew if they were attacked by the Soul Society, then Haruka would be able to help her and still hold her own… I just used her as an opportunity not to hurt your friends' feelings… Knowing that if I was back home, I probably would have said yes just because that's the way I am… But here… I can't even be near to getting involved with anyone… It's hard enough to have to let you in as a friend, because I know this all will be over soon and I'll have to go home where I belong…" Makoto replied and played with the comforter under her.

"So wait… You're going to leave me one day?" Kon asked tears in his eyes.

"K-Kon?..." Makoto asked sweat dropping.

"Rukia left me! And now you're going to leave me too!" Kon shouted as Makoto rolled her eyes at the stuffed tiger.

"Chill, Kon. I'll be here long enough." She replied and looked up at Ichigo who was staring at her.

"_This is almost identical to the situation Rukia is in…"_ Ichigo thought and then looked up at Makoto as she smiled.

"Now, I'm getting tired of having to forgive you for things, granted the whole grabbing me thing wasn't _completely_ your fault, but still. So I forgive you… Now are you going to chill out and stop jumping to conclusions?" Makoto asked as she stood up and walked over to him.

"Whatever." He replied as she smiled and grabbed his arm.

"Alright then, Strawberry-Kun. Let's go back to Urahara's! But give me a second to change." Makoto beamed happily and shoved him as well as Kon out the door.

-:-

Makoto walked along side Ichigo wearing a light green camisole and a sugar pink button up shirt on top, and a pair of shorts and flip flops.

"It's really a nice day… The weather is perfect here, it's like it stays the same." Makoto smiled as they walked along.

"You've been here for three days…" Ichigo replied as she rolled her eyes and walked up to the store spotting a little girl who reminded her of Hotaru and a small boy with flaming red hair.

"Hey, where's Urahara, we need to talk to him." Ichigo demanded to either one of the children.

"And why should we listen to you?" The little boy asked in a defying tone.

"Jinta…" The little girl spoke protesting him to stop.

"Oh shut up Ururu! This is none of their business!" The little boy yelled sticking his tongue out at the two teens as Ichigo fumed and Makoto sweat dropped.

"Ichigo…" Makoto spoke shaking her head as she walked forward and passed the two and the little boy tried to kick her but she quickly grabbed his ankle and turned it sideways making him turn over as she lifted him up by the one leg to her height.

"Do you really want to try that?" She asked as he wiggled around trying to get out of her grasp but couldn't. She walked up to the door, the little boy still in hand and knocked on it.

"Urahara Kisuke! I need to speak with you now! I know you're- Ah!" She screamed as the door flew open to reveal a tall man dressed in green robes and a bucket hat on his head. She backed up and dropped the kid on his head while Ichigo walked up to Makoto.

"Well, it took you long enough!" Ichigo shouted as Makoto looked at him and then back to Urahara.

"So you're Urahara?" Makoto asked looking up at the man.

"Yep, what can I do for you?" He asked politely.

"Well… I was sent here to be trained by you. They said you must and would help me… I need to save my Senshi." She spoke and he looked at her with a smile.

"Who was it that sent you here?" He asked as she looked at him confusedly then replied.

"Meioh Setsuna… Why? She has nothing to do with this." Makoto replied as he looked at her, his smile growing wider.

"Oh, you have no idea." He laughed. Makoto was about ask what all the secrecy was about but was distracted by the sound of people approaching.

"Sorry we're late Makoto, we needed to get a few… Things…" Setsuna spoke but she slowed down once she made eye contact with a certain male.

"Hello Setsuna, it's been a while has it not?" Urahara asked, a toothy grin still on his face.

-:-

She sat and watched the static screen of her communicator… She seemed to have been doing this for hours… Or so it felt like so. She wasn't sure how long. It could have been a minute, hour, a day… all she knew was that in her mind, it was too long.

"I've got to keep trying…" She whispered to herself as she shut the lid again.

"Please pick up Mako-chan… Please…" She pleaded looking down at the screen, the only sound greeting her was that of the static, not the happy voice of her brunette friend. She shut the communicator once again and placed it back within her robes, hoping that Hotaru was keeping hers hidden as well.

"There must be some kind of barrier that won't let it get through, but once inside like Hotaru and I, it can…" Rei whispered to herself and began to get lost in her thoughts. She grabbed the ends of her hair and looked at them solemnly…

"_Grandpa…"_ She thought as the picture of the older man appeared in her mind. She didn't even hear the door open she was so lost in thought. He wasn't doing well health wise at the moment and her being here and away from him, not able to care for him if he needed it… That was killing her…

"Grandpa, please… Please stay strong for me… I promise, I'll be back soon, and then everything will be alright… I'll help you get healthy again… I promise." Rei spoke her lips trembling as she felt the tear spill onto her top lip then quickly to the floor.

She reached into hers robes to feel for the bracelet that he had given her when she was only a small girl, but just kept on reaching. Her heart began to race as she panicked trying to find it. He had told her that it belonged to her mother when her father gave it to her when they first began dating. It was the only thing she had left to remember her by…

"Hino-san." A deep and smooth voice struck her as she slowly turned around to see Byakuya standing there.

"Are you looking for your bracelet?" He asked holding it up showing a thick silver chain with a cross attached to it.

"Why do you have that? Give it to me now." She seethed as she wiped her tears away quickly and stood up ready to fight the bastard that took it from her, but he held it out.

"Please, take it. I just want to know if you know the history and true purpose of that bracelet that you hold so dear to you." He spoke softly as she snatched it out of his hand glaring at him, wondering what it was that he had planned.

"It was given to my mother by my father before she died. My grandfather then told me that it was rightfully mine." She spoke bitterly thinking of her father whom she despised with every fiber of her being.

"That's not quite what I meant." Byakuya replied as she looked at him curiously.

-:-

Well…. This is one long ass chapter, lol! And I want to apologize to the Hotaru fans since Makoto **completely** dominated this chapter and there was more Rei than her… I think… but our two captured Senshi will have more room in my next chapter of this, I promise. So what do you guys think about the story so far? And any thoughts on the bracelet? Well I made this long because I knew it might be a while before I get this updated again, so I hope it was up to par and you all enjoyed it! I hope it made you laugh as much as it made me when I was typing it; I was getting a little carried away… But I don't really like the part with Haruka, I was almost tempted to take it out just because it didn't turn out like I planned, but I hope you didn't mind it….Well reviews are always appreciated! -Kat


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